


California Dreamin'

by DizzyDrea



Series: Reflections [3]
Category: JAG
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-01
Updated: 2010-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-27 03:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/291377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyDrea/pseuds/DizzyDrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day of Mac’s wedding…</p>
            </blockquote>





	California Dreamin'

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the song _Second Wind_ by Daryl Worley. Good song…anyone unlucky in love can see themselves in the words he sings.
> 
> JAG and all its particulars is the property of Donald P. Belisarius, Belisarius Productions, Paramount Television, NBC Productions and a lot of other people who aren't me. I'm doing this for fun and for practice. Mostly for fun.

~o~

Harm sat on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves crashing into the shore. His arms propped on his bent knees, forehead resting on his arms, eyes closed to shut out the world. In his mind’s eye, he was reliving every happy memory of his life with Mac, his life before she accepted another man’s ring and walked out of his life forever.

He’d left his mother’s house early that morning, refusing breakfast, causing his mother no small amount of alarm. He’d just wanted some solitude. Today was a difficult day for him. Today was Mac’s wedding day.

And so he’d sat on the beach for hours, sometimes berating himself, sometimes feeling sorry for himself. Mostly, though, he just thought of Mac.

At length, he noticed a shadow pass in front of him, blocking the sun. He looked up to find a woman standing before him that looked a lot like Mac.

Oh great, he thought with some dismay, now I’m seeing things.

Only the shadow didn’t go away. Instead, she moved to kneel beside him, staring intently into his eyes, never breaking eye contact.

Realization dawned slowly for Harm as he turned to face her, mostly because he didn’t want this to be a dream. He needed for it to be real; for her to be real. “Mac?” he asked tentatively.

She smiled at him and nodded her head. “It’s me,” she said simply.

“What are you doing here?” he wanted to know. “I thought you were getting married today.”

Mac sighed. “I was.”

“So why are you here?” he tried again.

“I couldn’t do it without you there.”

“You didn’t get married because I wasn’t there?” he said, shock evident in his voice.

She couldn’t tell if he was angry, disappointed or happy. All she could see was confusion and the strain of the last few days. She imagined she didn’t look much better. Shifting to sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder, she drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her as she gathered her thoughts.

“I went to The Wall last night,” she finally began to explain. “It was the only place I could think of to go and just…think.”

“And what did you think about?” he prompted her when it seemed she wouldn’t go on.

“A lot of things. You, mostly,” she admitted quietly.

Harm reached out and took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, trying to pass what strength he had left to her. Knowing she would say what needed to be said when she was ready.

After a long pause, she continued. “I realized that what you said before you left was true. I really did need to reexamine why I was marrying Mic. I wanted a home and a family and Mic was ready to give me that. He loves me, and I care about him. Maybe I even love him, but I’m not in love with him. And that’s not enough to build a life on. Because in the end, you have to want to make it work. And I didn’t. At least not with him.”

They fell into an easy silence, still holding hands, just staring out at the ocean, enjoying the sea breeze and each other’s closeness.

It was Harm who moved first. He stood, still holding her hand. He turned to her and reached out for her other hand, pulling her to stand before him. Her hair whipped around her face in the breeze and she looked tired, but he thought she had never been more beautiful. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Mac settled into his embrace, sighing with contentment against his chest.

“I’m sorry I ruined your day today,” he began after a time. When she would have spoken, he placed a finger to her lips to silence her. “This is supposed to be the happiest day of a woman’s life, and it isn’t turning out like you planned. I just want you to know that I never meant for it to happen like this.”

“I’m glad I know now,” she told him and they both knew what she meant.

“So, where do we go from here,” he asked, looking down into the depths of her brown eyes.

“Lunch,” she declared. “I’m starving and your mother promised to feed me if I could get you to come home.”

With that Mac took off running down the beach, Harm following fast behind her. His long strides caught him up to her before she had managed to get far, and he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. He tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear and bent to touch his lips to hers. The kiss was soft, but full of hope and promise, and when they parted, her eyes were shining with emotion.

“What was that for?” she wanted to know.

“To remind you that you are loved,” was his reply, his voice low and filled with emotion.

Mac smiled her first real smile in days as Harm pulled her back into his arms and held her, her head resting on his chest, his cheek nuzzling her hair. Contentment filled the air as they held each other close.

“I promise never to forget again,” Mac whispered, filling her promise with all the love in her heart.

~Finis


End file.
